The Wolf-prince's stolen bride

A familiar stranger...

It was still dark but I now knew there had been someone else besides my father and I there, close to the torch at the far end of the throne room that entire time.

I looked closer and could make out the figure of a man. I looked up at the face and my mouth fell open as soon as I realized, blue eyes stared right back into mine from the darkness.

The same bright blue eyes that seemed to shine even in the darkness had stared at me earlier in the night while he made passionate love to me earlier that night.

Everything had been a riddle from the moment I woke up and walked up the stairs to the throne room, his presence in the throne room right next to my dead father had solved a large portion of the riddle already.

I was in shock, but angry at the same time and in my mind, I had already begun to quickly connect all the dots.

Prince Tristane had been in the throne room as well and that left no room for doubts anymore. I had seen a dead royal guard and now just watched my own father bleed to death in front of me from a stab wound through the heart. There was only one explanation and conclusion to everything I saw and my mind had gotten to it quickly.

Tristane planned to murder my father from the beginning, he had only used me to pass the time and get access to the palace through my room because it gave access to every other section of the main palace including my father’s bed chamber.

“Everything I had heard about you all these years was actually true. You are really just a despicable monster who lies and kills and only cares about his own ambition and schemes.” I said slowly as I looked at him and waited for him to say something back.

He said absolutely nothing.

He stared back into my eyes without breaking the invisible hold, but he said nothing.

“Did you actually plan everything? You scaled the tower and waited at my window for me then seduced me all so you could have access to the palace. How long did it take you to plan all that? or did you already know I was foolish and would fall for your tricks the very first time we met?” I asked and hoped that confrontational manner would at least break his silence and bring out words from his lips. Those same lips that had explored every inch of me earlier. I hoped he would say something now.

Nothing, it was dead quiet again and only the sound of my ceaseless sobs filled the large but seemingly empty throne room.

“Respect me enough to at least tell me in your own words that I am the reason he is dead,” I added and looked over at the lifeless body of the great man who had raised me and protected me all my life. “Is he dead because of me? Please say something.” I asked and looked over at the blue eyes again as the tears streamed down steadily down my face to the floor.

I thought he looked confused the very first time I had spoken but I could not have been right about that or sure because it was dark, it was strange because he now looked hurt or at the very least angry about what I has said to him. I blinked as the tears began to sting and in that split second his expression changed to one of nonchalance and he looked amused now. He had a look in his eyes and a smile at the corner of his lips that taunted me. I thought again that I had to be mistaken, he could not be so cruel as to mock my pain in the very moment when it was at its peak.

He took a step out of the shadows now so that the light from the fire shone on his face and made the smile on the edge of his lips very clear. He smiled for a second and then looked serious as he leaned his shoulder against the wall and held my gaze then slowly crossed his arms across his chest.

“You must feel very good about yourself to be smiling the way you just did; you came here with no intention of marriage. You deceived my father, the entire kingdom and you managed to completely fool me. You must be really proud of yourself.” I said with a hysterical laugh that I had not planned as madness seeped into my mind. “I will kill you if it’s the last thing I have to do Prince Tristane of Belfaire. I will never forgive or forget what you have done to me today and how you let my father bleed out like an animal in his own palace.” I said with all the emotion I felt in the moment.

His lips moved and he finally said something.

“That’s good.” He said dryly.

I stared wide-eyed at the man, in total disbelief at his level of composure, calm and heartless arrogance. Shocked by just how remorseless and cold the look in his eyes had suddenly become. Even his voice had sent chills through me. I knew then for sure that the prince was actually more of a monster than the stories had managed to capture. There was no soul behind those eyes...

I was sure I had seen a soul and love in the man when he whispered all the sweet words to me earlier and kissed me like a man starved of water for weeks. It had been passion from him but nothing more. I had been wrong about every mental and emotional observation I made about him. He was different, not like any other man I had met. This man was soulless and perhaps already dead inside.

“Are you even human?” I asked, the tears no longer streaming down my face like the cascades of water at a waterfall. “How can anyone be this cold?” I asked still locked in the dance between our eyes, my mind was now lost, the transformation from the man I had spent the earlier moments of the night with into the man in front of me now had left me confused.

Just how foolish had I been all this time to not notice such darkness and hate in a man I had let to have access to every part of me in such a short amount of time?

“You must be lost in so many different thoughts and memories at the moment, but none of that matters now.” He said without any sign or sound of remorse or regret. “Like the dead King said to you before passing, all that has already happened is now irrelevant. You need to think about what comes next.” He added now with an air of amusement.

“He is not just any dead king, he was my father. How can you find this amusing?” I asked still unable to believe a man could change so much in mere hours.

“He was your father and now he is a dead man because he made the wrong decisions and made foolish mistakes. He even tried to become family with his worst enemy.” He said followed by a soft laugh. “He doesn’t matter anymore; you are all that should matter to you. How will you get answers and get revenge if you don’t survive the night?” He said then took his shoulder of the wall and assumed a straight position and looked down at me still seated at my father’s side. “I heard you say it right now. You will kill me and you will never forgive or forget what I have done. That all seems different to the promise you made to your dead father. He only died minutes ago and he would already be disappointed in your choices and words so far.”

“You killed my father; he was a good man. Whatever your reason for this betrayal, you could have done it differently. He will understand if I don’t keep such a promise.” I said while I struggled to control my emotions. “Will you kill me too?” I asked quietly. He sounded like he would, and in that moment, I did not mind death, I just hoped I would get the chance to kill him before I die.

“He was not as good a man as you think and he would be okay with you breaking oaths because he also did that in the past. The answer to the last question you asked is not clear to me yet, your answer to my next question will help me decide if you should live after tonight or die here.” He said with a finality in his words that sent shivers down my spine. “Listen carefully, do you hear those footsteps?” he said suddenly and excitedly and turned to peer into the darkness.

I strained to listen and heard it clearly.

Footsteps of men as they approached the doors of the throne room.

“There are at least five men and they might be here to kill the both of us. The King is dead and we were to be married so they will think you aided me to take the throne from you father.” He said with a nod at me “I will survive this night but I do not know if you need to survive, if you are sure you want to kill me and protect your people then I need to be sure you will be strong enough to stand and fight even without your father or brother to hold your hand. Will you fight to survive with all the madness that is about to enter your life after tonight? Can you do that?” he asked with a serious look in his eyes that made it clear he would leave me to die or even kill me himself if he felt I would be a liability.

“I do not need anyone to stand next to me, I want to survive and I want to be the one to kill you when I get the chance.” I said with the anger now in control and a strong hate for the man that fueled my words.

“Good girl, get on your feet Raya, leave your father behind and follow me if you really want to live.” He said and walked past me towards the torch, his right boot went up he put the fire out with one strong stamp.

Just like that the throne room was in total darkness. I got up to my feet instinctively with the thought of survival on my mind. I could hear the footsteps now and hushed voices filtered into the throne room. “Get up and stay behind me, if you want to get your revenge, I’ll help you survive the night. I will need your help later so I hope you comply when the time comes or I’ll be forced to kill you myself. Come!” he ordered and I followed as soon as I heard the words. I followed the cold voice and walked up to him.

I made a decision then.

To follow him..

To survive the night..

To do whatever I needed to do in order to live and protect my brother and the people of the kingdom like my father wanted..

To kill the monster of a man when I got the chance..

I placed a hand on his back and followed after him as he took quick steps and went into the darkness.